The present invention generally relates to the field of computer-based information handling systems, and particularly to a method and system for automatically generating a profile of a user of a computer-based information handling system.
It is often advantageous to determine specific information about users of computer-based information handling systems, for example, to specifically tailor the offering of goods or services to a user based upon the user""s background, demographics, interests, etc. Specific user information is especially valuable to companies that provide goods or services to users via a world-wide computer-based information network such as the World Wide Web or the Internet.
Information about a user may be determined from the word content of computer files created or edited by the user directly. Information gathered based upon a user""s word content for files created with a first software application may be utilized by other software applications in order to provide informed suggestions to the user based on the user""s word selection. Other software applications may save time for the user by automatically searching for and gathering information which is of interest to the user without any effort or intervention required of the user. The information may be ultimately utilized to allow the user to be directed to companies that are highly likely to provide goods or services which are of interest to the user. Thus, there lies a need for a method and system for automatically determining and utilizing a profile of a computer user.
The present invention is directed to a method for generating a profile of a user of a computer-based information handling system. In one embodiment of the invention, the method includes the steps of searching the computer-based information handling system for files stored thereon, upon locating a file stored on the computer-based information handling system, determining whether the file has been edited by the user, searching the file for words contained in the file, in the event the file has been edited by the user, compiling a list of words contained in the file, and adding the list of words to a database.
The present invention is further directed to a method for utilizing a profile of a user of a computer-based information handling system. In one embodiment of the invention, the method includes the steps of receiving descriptive information to be matched from a requester, comparing the descriptive information to be matched to a database containing words indicative of the profile of the user, determining whether a word in the database matches the descriptive information to be matched, in the event the word matches the descriptive information, recording a match, calculating a score indicative of the degree of match between the word and the descriptive information, and returning the match score to the requester.
The present invention is additionally directed to a computer-based information handling system for creating and utilizing profile information of a user of the computer-based information handling system. In one embodiment of the invention, the computer-based information handling system includes a processor for interpreting and executing instructions on the computer-based information handling system, a memory coupled to said processor for storing a file edited by the user, a database, stored in the memory, for storing the profile information, and a profiler, executing on the processor, for finding and reading user edited information contained in the files and adding the user edited information to the database.
It is to be understood that both the forgoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention as claimed. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate an embodiment of the invention and, together with the general description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.